Archived Major changes? What do you think?

[tgtfla]

Major changes coming to Target as it focuses on grocery, customer service

 

[Firefox]

All of these transformations are part of Target's bid to grow sales by 1.5% to 2.5% this year and by at least 3% annually in 2017, while reducing costs with more back-end efficiency in technology and the company's supply chain

This is pretty much all that I took from the article. This is PR speak for payroll cuts and gutting stores to reduce their bottom line. The only positive thing that I can think comes from this article is that it sounds like Flexible Fulfillment/SFS/In-Store Pickup will be a focus this year, as more and more sales go towards online shopping.

Every year, there are promises of "more organic foods" and "Better grocery selection" and "improving guest service" but nothing will improve very notably and the same thing will be said come February 2017.

 

[TallAPGuy]

As a slight de-railment, this sentence made me laugh.

College campus-based stores get more solo cups and ping-pong balls.

Onto the actual subject matter, I don't see anything new in the article that we haven't already heard about in the store. The points system thats being tested in NC might be interesting, but it's just going to be another headache for cashiers to get people to sign up for.

 

[DoWork]

Before I reply, I'd like to know how ridiculous this sounds in the eyes of master of clogs.

 

[Firefox]

As a slight de-railment, this sentence made me laugh.


Onto the actual subject matter, I don't see anything new in the article that we haven't already heard about in the store. The points system thats being tested in NC might be interesting, but it's just going to be another headache for cashiers to get people to sign up for.

Our store used to sell a "Soda Pong starter kit" that was just about 12 solo cups and 2 ping pong balls. I can guarantee that thing was never played with Soda

 

[BoxCutter]

master of clogs.

 

[BlueSide]

Our store used to sell a "Soda Pong starter kit" that was just about 12 solo cups and 2 ping pong balls. I can guarantee that thing was never played with Soda

I've always wanted to build a salesplanner of tables, cups, and pong balls. My STL would never do it

 

[Rock Lobster]

As a slight de-railment, this sentence made me laugh.


Onto the actual subject matter, I don't see anything new in the article that we haven't already heard about in the store. The points system thats being tested in NC might be interesting, but it's just going to be another headache for cashiers to get people to sign up for.

I haven't listened to all of Brian's presentation yet, but a couple things he said that were interesting...
1) Reduction of boring and pointless workload in stores and the addition of more adviser type positions. Speciality roles where our guests want them (designated Online Pickup TMs, Baby, Home Reinvention etc.)
2) Working more closely with our vendors to coordinate how they ship with the capacities on our shelves (box size should not exceed total capacity ever).
3) Simplification of Target Loyalty. Too many programs between REDcards, Cartwheel, and now REDperks. Combine them back into one simple thing.

There is more, but I liked what I heard.

 

[redeye58]

The points system thats being tested in NC might be interesting, but it's just going to be another headache for cashiers to get people to sign up for.

This is just a re-hash of the old point system where you had to earn 1000 points (at one point per $1) to get a 10% off coupon for ONE DAY of shopping.
Folks today have way better incentives with other cards - airline miles, cash back, Disney trips/merch to name a few.

 

[signingminion]

Our store used to sell a "Soda Pong starter kit" that was just about 12 solo cups and 2 ping pong balls. I can guarantee that thing was never played with Soda

Wet used to play the water hydration game. Because the only thing they could nail us for was a hazardous drinking have with alcohol. But you've got 64oz of water before it becomes over the recommended daily serving....we just kept our bottles and shots on the other table ;-)

 

[Joejoe12]

I've always wanted to build a salesplanner of tables, cups, and pong balls. My STL would never do it

Last back to college our sales floor team lead did that on a back end cap sold out with in a few hours

 

[PassinTime]

This is pretty much all that I took from the article. This is PR speak for payroll cuts and gutting stores to reduce their bottom line. The only positive thing that I can think comes from this article is that it sounds like Flexible Fulfillment/SFS/In-Store Pickup will be a focus this year, as more and more sales go towards online shopping.

Every year, there are promises of "more organic foods" and "Better grocery selection" and "improving guest service" but nothing will improve very notably and the same thing will be said come February 2017.

"Improving guest service" ...that assumes that staffing levels are sufficient to both assist the guest on the floor and get them checked out reasonably fast by a cashier that isn't so burnt out that it's an effort to be pleasant.

The Target I was in today had one lane open besides the SCO. Seriously, one lane.

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

Red perks is just like mperks. They're copying Meijer. For those that have never heard of Meijer, check them out.

 

[Yetive]

Red perks is just like mperks. They're copying Meijer. For those that have never heard of Meijer, check them out.

Yes. I love mperks. Much easier than cartwheel and none of that 5% off baloney.

 

[MasterofLOG]

Yes. I love mperks. Much easier than cartwheel and none of that 5% off baloney.

Ummm... the meijer site doesn't explain in much detail how this works... so how is this an improvement??

And NO better not touch my 5% RC !! Points that add up to an extra discount similar to the RxPerks ( ) fine... don't touch my RC 5% !!

That means more organic products,

Oh yay.. more crap that won't sell here

This is middle America, and as a MN company, TGT should understand that area... Sadly when you only test and research inside a bubble you only get the bad results. Lets see you hire a bunch of those newbie millennial execs to run CA and what happened??? Quit testing this stuff in city areas! My guests don't want that stuff! Matter of fact they are very adamantly upset that we don't carry stuff to make this a GROCERY DESTINATION. Which with the line:

easily buy .... last minute dinner ingredients."

don't GET GROCERY... And this also directly is opposite of

less concentration in middle-of-the-store dry goods.

so there went my last minute dinner stuff!

fresh produce and

Fine as long as you stick to the BASICS! I seem one *&%^&$^$% kumquat or something and I am stopping the (*&*&^*& store! I will will just flex something in place of it and permanently stop the PA(s) from ordering it..


less concentration in middle-of-the-store dry goods.

This is EXACTLY the WRONG MOVE!

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

I need my dry goods back! Like all the MP canned veggies and the national brand veggies that you stripped down to nearly nothing, and guests go "where the 8*&%&^$ is the food!" Bring back the MoM bagged cereals you yanked out..at least here..

Also how about we get the flour/sugar and the baking ie: cake mixes, frosting, brownie mixes in the same valley!!! As well as coffee and tea....

Take and bake pizzas!

Again simple BASICS stick to them, fix them... Take a plane ride and go visit some of the grocery competition.. Aldi, Krogers, Giant Eagle, Foodland, HEB etc... and TAKE NOTES!

 

[DoWork]

FINALLY. Thank you, master. I can now form an opinion.

 

[MasterofLOG]

"Improving guest service" ...that assumes that staffing levels are sufficient to both assist the guest on the floor and get them checked out reasonably fast by a cashier that isn't so burnt out that it's an effort to be pleasant.

The Target I was in today had one lane open besides the SCO. Seriously, one lane.

WINNNEER! WINNER! Chicken dinner!!!!

The staffing needs to go way WAY WAY UP and the RC spiel BS needs to be halted! You want to talk agitated and annoyed guests... start with that BS... and then if you get one the guests in back.. you can hear the collective annoying sigh... and then the thud of crap hitting the CL EC shelfs, baskets full on the floor.. and the guests walk out the door! And then "additional cashiers to the front lanes..." Sighhh.. and the cycle continues....

What time did you go???

And as for SCO.. I like and loathe it... if it works and I can zip through it with my lunch stuff or stuff as I leave for the day... fine... but I also think we should throw 1-2% discount at those using the SCO regardless of RC or not since I am doing the job of TM by cashiering... BUT that cuts both ways... some guests will never like it or use it so don't cut the cashiers just because you got SCO...

From 0800 to ~ 0930 or so.. there is 1 ONE Cashier here.. then another comes in, FA can fill in or check them out, and GS as well as I guess you can count them as cashiers and being there at opening... but their hours come from different WC's

 

[MasterofLOG]

FINALLY. Thank you, master. I can now form an opinion.

Just because you disagree, and think that plan is roses, rainbows and unicorns... I don't... I am also willing to say so..

Middle America don't need kumquats and pineapples... the come in to get tomatoes.. and they don't look to see that some one personally cultivated it 24/7 and the personally drove it to the packing house... They don't know what GMO is, well ok the farmers do since Monsanto sues them! but the consumer don't care!

There will ALWAYS be those at the extreme ends of this that want all this fad stuff... You might make a few bucks.. but what we are doing is at the EXPENSE of the GUESTS we WANT!

If all you want to do is capture the guest who came in and grabbed the C9 leggings and sports bra on sale, and then wanted some of that grass clipping juice.. by all means continue on! If you want to see guests come in and FILL CARTS with FOOD AND THEN get those C9 leggings etc.. then PUT THE FOOD IN THE STORES! Those coming for food in place of going to the other grocery chains will then shop and get those other items with higher margins ie: C9 leggings etc..

We don't have what MY GUESTS want.. I don't eat 99% of the stuff that I would consider basics.. but we need to have it.. We don't need 24 feet of yogurt & grass juice! Nor 20 feet of various nut juice trying to pose as milk.

 

[Backroom81]

I always felt that dropping Super Targets and attempting to make PFresh a thing was a bad idea. If they want to be a "one stop shop", having a half assed food section that only carries the basics and not much else is just going to convince people to do their grocery shopping elsewhere.

I live about 2 miles away from a PFresh store and I skip over that in favor of the Super Target I work at that's 10 miles away just to ensure I only have to make one trip.

 

[DoWork]

The 'basics' are not for target shoppers. Please refer to increased grocery sales. My store has had a phenomenal year and last year. All local competing grocers have much more of a variety of food. I can only hope we will get more organics(maybe drop regular if organic is available if quality is up to par.)

 

[redeye58]

The 'Middle America' you've described tends to shop at Walmart.
Target shoppers tend to be the moms who like Target's clothes selection better than Wallie's, who cook more than just steak & 'taters, who may have a child with food allergies, who'd like to treat themselves to an occasional latte, who'd like to decorate their home with something other than NASCAR memorabilia & deer head trophies.
If they can get all that in one stop, they're gonna spend more than they would at Wallie's.

 

[BigEyedPhish]

The 'Middle America' you've described tends to shop at Walmart.
Target shoppers tend to be the moms who like Target's clothes selection better than Wallie's, who cook more than just steak & 'taters, who may have a child with food allergies, who'd like to treat themselves to an occasional latte, who'd like to decorate their home with something other than NASCAR memorabilia & deer head trophies.
If they can get all that in one stop, they're gonna spend more than they would at Wallie's.

IDK what kind of PFresh you have, but ours mostly consists 'Taters, Steak, and Eh'vocaters'

 

[BlueSide]

They should be trying to specialize the grocery departments more. If @MasterofLOG's guests want more Spam and Easy Mac then that's what they should be getting. I do feel that some of these organics are a waste of space and money. Those weird Chia seed drinks come to mind. But most of these new "fad" products are selling quite a bit at my store. We just need to figure out exactly what is selling and where it's selling at.

 

[BlueSide]

I don't think we're focused on taking guests from Walmart so much anymore, which was Greg's thing. I think we're going for Whole Foods customers now.

 

[DoWork]

I don't think we're focused on taking guests from Walmart so much anymore, which was Greg's thing. I think we're going for Whole Foods customers now.

Which lets face it, is better. More money, less kinds of people who shit on walls.